Their Eureka moment? Making leisure their business
Lou Lo and Shane Tawr wanted to invest in real-state when they came across a motel for sale in Eureka Springs. They thought it was an excellent opportunity, especially because they were already operating a national chain hotel in another location. In 2021 they opened Eureka Springs Heritage Motel, a family-owned and operated motel designed for couples and families looking for a unique, extraordinarily clean, and fun place to stay while in Eureka Springs, AR.
They realized owning an independent hotel required a completely different type of management and business knowledge. When Lou learned about the EforAll Northwest AR Business Accelerator, she thought it would be perfect for gaining the skills and information she was missing. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I was looking forward to learning how to balance things”, she recalls.
Their favorite part of the program was meeting their cohort and learning something different every week, from accounting to advertising. Lou and Shane also had a great experience with their mentors, who gave them a lot of insights and support. “It gave us much more confidence. We never felt alone,” she said.
Since graduating, the motel has gone through renovations and is ready for Spring. They’ve been booking an average of 20 rooms through online travel sites and expect to book even more rooms now that they have joined the local chamber of commerce.
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